هَلِ الطَرفُ يُعطي نَظرَةً مِن حَبيبِهِ

أَمِ القَلبُ يَلقى راحَةً مِن وَجيبِهِ

Does the eye give a glance from its beloved

Or the heart find solace from its sorrow?

وَهَل لِلَّيالي عَطفَةٌ بَعدَ نَفرَةٍ

تَعودُ فَتُلهي ناظِراً عَن غُروبِهِ

Will the nights show affection after aloofness

Returning to delight the watcher from its setting?

وَلِلَّهِ أَيّامٌ عَفونَ كَما عَفا

ذَوائِبُ مَيّاسِ العَرارِ رَطيبِهِ

For God has days of pardon as he pardoned

The twisting paths of meadows, fragrant and fresh

أَحِنُّ إِلى نورِ الرُبى في بِطاحِهِ

وَأَظما إِلى رَيّا اللِوى في هُيوبِهِ

I yearn for the light of pastures in the valley

And pine for the friend at the watering place

وَذاكَ الحِمى يَغدو عَليلاً نَسيمُهُ

وَيُمسي صَحيحاً ماؤُهُ في قَليبِهِ

That sanctuary goes out ailing in its breeze

And returns healthy in its water at dusk

حَبَبتُ لِقَلبي ظِلَّهُ في هَجيرِهِ

إِذا ما دَجا أَو شَمسَهُ في ضَريبِهِ

I made its shade beloved in its desolation

Be it darkening or its sun in decline

وَعَهدي بِذاكَ الظَبيِ إِبّانَ زُرتُهُ

رَعاني وَلَم يَحفِل بِعَينَي رَقيبِهِ

My pact with that gazelle when I visited it

Grazing freely, not heeding its watcher’s eye

وَحَكَّمَ ثَغري في إِناءِ رُضابِهِ

وَأَدنى جَوادي مِن إِناءِ حَليبِهِ

It arbitrated my mouth to its satisfaction

And brought my steed near the bowl of its milk

هُوَ الشَوقُ مَدلولاً عَلى مَقتَلِ الفَتى

إِذا لَم يَعِد قَلباً بِلُقيا حَبيبِهِ

Yearning points to the slaying of the youth

When the heart no longer meets its beloved

تُعَيِّرُني تَلويحَ وَجهي وَإِنَّما

غَضارَتُهُ مَدفونَةٌ في شُحوبِهِ

You reproach the pallor of my face

Yet its ashen hue lies buried in its pallor

فَرُبَّ شَقاءٍ قَد نَعِمنا بِمُرِّهِ

وَرُبَّ نَعيمٍ قَد شَقينا بِطيبِهِ

How much misery we delighted in its bitterness

And how much delight brought woe in its sweetness

وَلَولا بَواقي نائِباتٍ مِنَ الرَدى

غَفَرتُ لِهَذا الدَهرِ ماضي ذُنوبِهِ

Were it not for the remnants of fate’s calamities

I would have pardoned this life its past sins

وَإِنّي لِعِرفانِ الزَمانِ وَغَدرِهِ

أَبيتُ وَما لي فِكرَةٌ في خُطوبِهِ

Knowing the days and their betrayal

I refused, unconcerned with its events

وَأُصبِحُ لا مُستَعظِماً لِعَظيمِهِ

بِقَلبي وَلا مُستَعجِباً لِعَجيبِهِ

I face its mighty without awe in my heart

Nor marvel at its wonders, surprised

يَغُمُّ الفَتى ذِكرُ المَشيبِ وَرُبَّما

يَلقى اِنقِضاءَ العُمرِ قَبلَ مَشيبِهِ

The youth worries about aging

And may meet his end before it comes

وَيُنسيهِ بَدءَ العَيشِ ما في عَقيبِهِ

وَجيئَتُهُ تُبدي لَنا عَن ذُهوبِهِ

The beginning of life makes him forget what follows

And its arrival shows us its secrets

إِلى كَم أَشُقُّ اللَيلَ عَن كُلِّ مَهمَهٍ

وَأَرعى طُلوعَ النَجمِ حَتّى مَغيبِهِ

How I split the night for every concern

And watch the stars rise until their setting

أَخُطُّ بِأَطرافِ القَنا كُلَّ بَلدَةٍ

وَأُملي جَلابيبَ المَلا مِن نُدوبِهِ

I traverse the edges of every land

And unleash calamity on the infidels

وَكُنتُ إِذا خَوّى نَجيبٌ تَرَكتُهُ

أَسيرَ عِقالٍ مُؤلِمٍ مِن لُغوبِهِ

When an eminent one misbehaved, I left him

To a painful, remorseful restraint from frivolity

رَجاءً لِعِزٍّ أَقتَنيهِ وَحالَةٍ

تَزيدُ عَدوّي مِن غَواشي كُروبِهِ

Hoping for honor I gained and a state

That increased my enemy’s wounds and anguish

وَبَزلاءَ مِن جُندِ اللَيالي لَقيتُها

بِقَلبٍ بَعيدِ العَزمِ فيها قَريبِهِ

I faced the nights’ army with a heart

Ready and close on their battlefield

نَصَبتُ لَها وَجهي وَلَيسَ كَعاجِزٍ

يُوَقّيهِ حَرَّ الطَعنِ مَن يَتَّقي بِهِ

I set my face against them, no coward

Fearing the sharp blades that pierce

وَخَيلٍ كَأَمثالِ القَنا تَحمِلُ القَنا

عَلى كُلِّ عُنقٍ عاقِدٍ مِن سَبيبِهِ

Horses like columns bearing columns

On every buckled neck of their straps

حَمَلتُ عَلَيها كُلَّ طَعّانِ سُربَةٍ

كَما نَهَزَ الساقي بِجَنبَي قَليبِهِ

I unleashed them on every slanderous horde

As the cupbearer shook the cups in his hands

قَضى وَطَرَ العَلياءِ مَن رَكِبَ القَنا

وَأَولَغَ بيضاً مِن دَمٍ في صَبيبِهِ

Those who rode the steeds spent and exhausted the lofty

As their swords spilled white from the blood

وَكَم قَعدَةٍ مِنّي أَقَمتُ بِبَأسِها

إِلى الطَعنِ مَيّادَ القَنا في كُعوبِهِ

How many attacks I resisted in their onslaught

Till the sword play of the steeds pierced their heels

وَلَمّا رَكِبتُ الهَولَ لَم أَرضَ دونَهُ

وَمَن رَكِبَ اللَيثَ اِعتَلى عَن نَجيبِهِ

When I rode calamity, none compared

He who rides the lion rises above the eminent

تُريحُ عَلَينا ثَلَّةَ المَجدِ شُزَّبٌ

تُغالي وَأَيدٍ مِن قَناً في صَليبِهِ

A band displays the glory of victory

Assailing with hands that wield the swords

وَأَبيَضَ مِن عَليا مَعَدٍّ بَنانُهُ

مُقاوِمُ رَيّانِ الغِرارِ خَصيبِهِ

Whiter than a lofty structure its lances

Resisting the torrents of perfidy, fruitful

أَخَفُّ إِلى يَومِ الوَغى مِن سِنانِهِ

وَأَمضى عَلى هامِ العِدى مِن قَضيبِهِ

More penetrating than its blades on the day of battle

More decisive than its shafts against the foe

هَلِ السَيفُ إِلّا مُنتَضىً مِن لِحاظِهِ

أَوِ البَدرُ إِلّا طالِعٌ مِن جُيوبِهِ

Is the sword but drawn from its scabbard?

The moon but rising from its dunes?

إِذا سُئِلَ اِنهالَ النَدى مِن بَنانِهِ

كَما اِنهالَ أَذيالُ النَقا مِن كَثيبِهِ

When asked, it rains down blows from its lances

As the trailing robes of eminence rain from their peaks

جَوادٌ إِذا ما مَزَّقَ الذَودَ عَضبُهُ

أَذاعَ النَدى مِن جُردِهِ بَعدَ نَيبِهِ

A steed whose fury shreds the protection

Spreads dew from its smooth neck and shoulder

يَسيرُ أَمامَ النَجمِ عِندَ طُلوعِهِ

وَيَهوي أَمامَ النَجمِ عِندَ غُروبِهِ

It goes before the star at its rising

And plunges before the star at its setting

رَضيتُ بِهِ في صَدرِ يَومِ عَجاجِهِ

عَلى شَمسِهِ عارِيَةً مِن سُهوبِهِ

I approved it on the day of its fury

Bare of covering, purified

مَضى يَحرُسُ الأَقرانَ بِالطَعنِ في الطُلى

وَقَد لَجَّ نَعّابُ القَنا في نَعيبِهِ

It went on guarding the peers with its thrusts in battle

While the swords pierced the bowels of the steeds

أَنا اِبنُ نَبيِّ اللَهِ وَاِبنُ وَصِيِّهِ

فَخارٌ عَلا عَن نِدِّهِ وَضَريبِهِ

I am the son of God’s prophet and his successor

Exalted, transcending his match and contender

تَأَدَّبَ مِنّي رائِعُ الخَطبِ بَعدَما

تَجَلّى سَفيهُ الجَدِّ لي عَن أَديبِهِ

The arrogant speaker humbled before me

When the frivolous exposed himself to the literary

فَوَاللَهِ لا أَلقى الزَمانَ بِذِلَّةٍ

وَلَو حَطَّ في فوديَّ أَمضى غُروبِهِ

By God, I will not meet time in disgrace

Even if it descends upon my neck at its setting

قَنِعتُ فَعِندي كُلُّ مَلكٍ نُزولُهُ

عَنِ العِزِّ وَالعَلياءِ مِثلُ رُكوبِهِ

I am content, to me every kingdom's decline

From glory and eminence is like its rise

وَما أَسَفي إِلّا عَلى ما جَلَوتُهُ

عَلى سَمعِ مَنزورِ النَوالِ نَضوبِهِ

I regret only what I have wasted

To the impaired hearing of the asker, never sated

إِذا ما رَآني قَطَّعَ اللَحظَ طَرفُهُ

وَعَنوَنَ لي إِطراقُهُ عَن قُطوبِهِ

When he sees me, his gaze cuts short

And his averting signals me his gloom

وَمَن لَم يَكُن حَمدي نَصيباً لِبِشرِهِ

جَعَلتُ ضُروبَ الذَمِّ أَدنى نَصيبِهِ

Whoever does not count my praise as good fortune

I make the forms of blame his portion

وَلَو أَنَّ عَضبي مُمكِنٌ ما ذَمَمتُهُ

وَكانَ مَكانَ الذَمِّ رَدعُ جُيوبِهِ

Had my wrath been possible, I would not blame him

Restraint would replace blame, capturing his fancy

وَإِنَّ عَناءَ الناظِرينَ كِلَيهِما

إِذا طَمِعا مِن بارِقٍ في خُلوبِهِ

The toil of both merely gaze, hoping

For a flash in its hidden depths

أُعابُ بِشِعري وَالَّذي أَنا قائِلٌ

يُقَلقِلُ جَنبي عائِبٌ مِن مَعيبِهِ

I disparage in my poetry, and what I say

Worries the critic, flaw-picking from its slip-ups

وَكُلُّ فَتىً يَرنو إِلى عَيبِ غَيرِهِ

سَريعاً وَتَعمى عَينُهُ عَن عُيوبِهِ

Each braggart swiftly overlooks their own flaws

While their eyes are blind to their own faults

وَما قَولِيَ الأَشعارَ إِلّا ذَريعَةً

إِلى أَمَلٍ قَد آنَ قَودُ جَنيبِهِ

I do not speak verse, but as a means

To a hope whose time for gathering is ripe

وَإِنّي إِذا ما بَلَّغَ اللَهُ مُنيَتي

ضَمِنتُ لَهُ هَجرَ القَريضِ وَحوبِهِ

When God takes my soul, I guarantee

Forsaking poetry and all its discourse

فَهَل عائِبي قَولٌ عَقَدتُ بِفَضلِهِ

فَخاري وَحَصَّنتُ العُلى بِضُروبِهِ

Has any critic a saying whose merit

Exalts me and fortifies the heights in its forms?

سَأَترُكُ هَذا الدَهرَ يَرغو رُغاؤُهُ

وَتَصرُفُ مِن غَيظي بَوادي نُيوبِهِ

I will leave this life to vent its discontent

And turn my anger to the valleys of its wolves

وَأَجعَلُ عَضبي دونَ وَجهي وِقايَةً

لِيَأمَنَ عِندي ماؤُهُ مِن نُضوبِهِ

And make my wrath before me a protection

So its water is safe from drying near me